The Sunday herald., 1887-01-23
AMUSE NJ ENTS.

on Monday, January az. Manager Mbsugh An
nounces the beginning of weeks engagement oi
the National opera Company, which is destined ic
be the musical event Of the winter, constituting as Il
does our only opportunity to hear grand opera In
| Washington this season. what has hitherto passed
under that name in America has often been but 4
sorry travosty upon the genuine article as seer
upon the boards OF the opera houses OF Europe
where governmental aid is always back of the enter
Prise 10 sustain the enormous expenses ut produr
unn. In this country, uf course, such an cxrend
ture would bc sadly at variance with the homcspnt
fabric Of our free Institutions but, In the rase OF the
National opera Company, In place ~ a subsidt
from the State, we nave the presence OF Intelligent
capital an association OF wealthy people, who have
put their riches to the good use OF advancing the
| cause of art, The consequence has been the pres
| enlatlon OF the masterpieces OF the great compos.
| ers In manner never hitherto even dreamt of
| among us. An army Oh slhgefs dad dancers upon
the stage, headed by the most eminent talent in
eher profession eonfronts across the footights an.
otner army oil instfuientallsts. led by the flashing
wand of Theodore Thomas, whose name is a hon se.
mold word In America-the musical prophet and HIGH
priest who has led us out OF the wilderness OF aris
| tic Phillstinism. Never before has grand opera
been rendered In the English tongue with such
completeness Of ensemble, orchestral, choral, and
| asto mise en- scene. Sixty performers in the or.
eighty in the ballet one hundred In the cho.
rns'with costumes, scenery, and every adjunct on
scale ignoring absolutely oil thought of cost, succec,
IN erecting productions worthy Of Paris. Vienna or
Baireuth. The programme for the week embraces
several very welcome additions to the repertory oi
| styear. Beginning with Monday night we are 10
| nave the "HuguenOts,' Meyerbeer's noblest music
with the noble voices of Mile LAllem antl as the
queen, Bertha Person as trnientne, and M,ron
whitney as Marcel, the grand old Iluguenoi soldier n
part vocay and dramatically n to bring out his hest
"a 4. a
o,willbe heard in the charming rocuf gjbnt, thc
Fdge, AMI the cast throughout is unusually strong
| On tuesday night "Faust" will lie given wherein
MISS Juch as can readily he believed described ss
| IN every regard an ideal Marguerite. The supcrb
baritone, Ludwig, will be heard In his great roie N,
hephtSto, aud Mrs. Davis again In a congen,a p,rt
| as StebeL aida ON Wednesday will bring ont the
tulstrengh OF the company, with fursch. Ma in the
uter role, ana be revelation of magnificent effects
| Of oriental luxury anu barbaric gorpeousness on
Thursday the "Flying Dutchman" the Brs, OF the
series which was heard here last season, and those
VINO were 50 fortunate as TO be present at that yop
dertul rendition will remember how its weird
| beauty haunted them for days "Lohenrrin +,
with Mr.. Candldus In his famous assutnp
ton OF the title role. Miss Bertha Pierson as
| Elsa, and Whitney and Ludwig as the Efno and
Herald will follow, in ali its wealth of tonal and
scenic splendor. AT the matinee, Saturday, "or.
pheus aud Eurydice," Gluck's grand Old master.
piece, that comes down through the centuries re.
| ouking In Its reposeful strength. sweetness and
simplicity the strivngs of later times will be given
with the tremendous scene In Hades, the grand pro
cessonal and ballet, and all of the imposing features
which made II the event of last season. At nigh,
the graceful and charming little opera of "Jean.
nette's Marriage" wherein Nile. L'Anemapd won
such honors. will he followed by Daibess CoppeIis
ballet, htly closing week of artistic music which
| 1t will be privilege to have witnessed and lasting
| pleasure TO recall.
| Good audiences and unbounied enjoym ept have
been the rule at the National during the week unde,
the spell OF Miss Annie Pixley, in Mr.. A. c. Gunters
play of "rhe Deacon's Daughter Mr.. Gupter is
| perhaps the most successful OF the literary man.
milliners of the modern stage. those dramatic
Worths and Redferns, who study the characters
ties and pecuaries Of an actress with view ia
Hitting her with an effective play, as carefully az
would their sartoral prototypes her contour
IN order TO drape her with decatey seductive
tea-gown or stunningy "mannish" tai,or. made suit
In Hiss" Mr. Gunter caught the rather strongly.
accented features OF Miss Plxleys style and person
| atty meruehte. She has the broad, sturdy face
and figure of pretty Italian contadli,u, and tba,
hne, twangtng nasal, much rarer with this genera.
| ton OF American women, thank Heaven, than with
their mothers and grandmothers. hut still extant in
odd corners OF New England and certain nameless
areas OF Tue "rowuy Vest" In the ragged outfit of
| poor Nttss, or under the broad.brimmed ''sun.
DOWN OF RUN HOmerebb at the wash-tub her
| beauty shines with the native charm of lovely
wtld-nower among the ferns and grass. In the SILK
| anu satin scenes OF her dramas she Is the wild.
Hover still, but robbed OF half her charm ty the
1eWeled vase that holds and the artificial atmosphere
that stines her. But she is such thoroughly natu-
ra'. unaffected, whole-souled, Jolly little woman
| wlthsl, tnat her splendid vitality and eGervescen,
good humor capture her audiences from the start,
ami she owns them completely at the finish
| II is all easy matter to tell when the house
beginning at the top is In thorough accord with
the play and the player, and there could certainly
he no scnia OF doubt as TO Miss Pixley. Mr.. Gun.
| ter, and the patrons of the National last week The
| "Deacon's Daughter" gives the little lady scope
for the Introduction Of various SONGS Including, of
course, the inevitable lullaby from "Erminic," and
Tor the display OF several toilets OF much splendor
wherein she was tremendously pretty IL not always
100 comfortably at home. Tho support is mainly
good, though Mr. Days Deacon HOme,retb deserves
much warmer praise for Its genial humor and lite
like fidelity TO nature. Miss Pennoyer as the Dea.
con'swife and Mr.. Fisher as Sgltire S[frnbergaS
also presentruslc types of very recognizable real
| ISM Hr. Chhleb Ldtcton, (and print cannot even
Approximate Miss Pixey's pronunciation of sonar
ley,' the hero and lover OF the cast was rendered
In an altogether unique fashion by Mr. Davenpor,
| Rebus, who felicitously combines the voice of a
qnartef-stretch nool-seer with the engaging man
ners OF a "shouter" for Bowery Museum Mr.
| Rebus is dramatic conundrum which we are quite
willing to give up in advance. Miss Irene Avens
appearsto be that rdUa dUts IN te,TiS female come
dian, Her real name must surely he something
akin TO that Of Mary O'BOu1herty her character In
| thls play, Tor certainly more amusingly faithful
bit OF Irish comedy in makeup, dialect, and facia
| expression can scarcely lie imagined. The genera
lone OF the play Is agreeable and wholesome ant
people went away with bright faces, kindly CON-
ments,and Impressions altogether pleasant.
AT Albaugh's FrRz Emmet, the genial and peren
NAL lrishman who does Dutch comedy 80 delight
fully and has done 1t for so many years. PLAYED ,c
MS traditional audience and never-falling enihusi
| asm. There is the same rhythmic grace, the sam,
poetry OF silt" and swing and perpetual motion
wherewith he has danced and sung his way into IN,
| hearts OF two generations. Some of his songs are
new, and his voice is stronger and nearly as fresh al
ever, with the same lurking cadences OF mirth o,
pahos ever ready TO spring out upon the senslblli
| ties OF the unwary at moments notice. His com
pany is about OF his usuai average, and fully eaua
| 10 the not very eXigent demands OF a p,etty
thoroughly "0ne-part" play. As usual, too. he ha,
several bright children In the cast his graceful by
play and pretty tableaua with whom elicit all OF the
od-tlme deluge OF feminine enthusiasm and delight
Our annual Emmett IL as much OF an Institution aud
as indispensable as Christmas or the minstrels and
circus. Far distant be the day when we shall mis-.
his coming from the dramatic calendar.
| The sale OF tickets for the coming season OF grand
opera in English, as given by the National Opera
Company, will open al Brentanos Tuesday next,
January 26. on that day and on Wednesday the
opportunity Will be afforded those who desire to oh.
tain choice seats OF purchasing tickets for the entire
season. and on Thursday the regular sale Of single
tickets begins and continues throughout the week
| Those who were fortunate enough to witness the
performances given by this company in our city last
spring were necessarily impressed by the exquisite
artistic setting Of the scenes and the unparalleled
magnincence OF the costumes; therefore, the ex,
treme deslrabty OF goO1 seats will he readily Iecog
nized as II Is the boast OF the National Opera that II
charms not the ear alone, but the most critical eye
as well. This organization has fro IN its inception
| advanced steadily and boldly In the high path
marked out for It by It's protectors Aiming, az II
has always done, at what Is classlcally hest and
most purely artistic In every department pertaining
10 grand opera, an immense amount Of talent and
money nave been brought 70 bear on the success OF
THIS ambitions scheme. As a result we
have operate performances such as, taken
In their entirety, have never been APP.
preached IN tnls country, What the OrChes-
tratlOn Ia, IN the masterly hands OF Theodore
Thomas aud his nnrlvaled band OF musicians IL IA